Himachal government to review lists of BPL families

The state government is set to review the lists of beneficiaries for the Below Poverty Line (BPL), Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP) and Antyodaya schemes after several irregularities were found in the selection process.

The Panchayati Raj Department has instructed all panchayats to convene gram sabhas to reassess the eligibility of the current beneficiaries. Previously, the scheduled meetings were postponed due to the Lok Sabha elections but they are now critical to address the issue of long-term beneficiaries, many of whom have been receiving support for 15 to 20 years. Around 2.60 lakh families are registered under the BPL category, which provides essential services such as subsidised food grains, housing, medical care and education for children.

Of the over 3,615 panchayats in the state, only 38 are BPL free. In Kangra, many ineligible families have been found on the beneficiary lists despite owning vehicles, having government jobs and possessing agricultural land.

In 2018, a baseline survey aimed at identifying and verifying beneficiaries was initiated, revealing thousands of ineligible families. In Baijnath block, 2,937 families were identified as BPL beneficiaries despite owning substantial assets. However, even after six years, the government is yet to implement the findings from the survey.